The history of tarot cards is lengthy and complex. Previously, writings about tarot cards suggested conflicting origins and meanings of tarot cards used throughout several European countries. Tarot card definitions remain in question today, although experts have advanced various theories to answer. Perhaps the most relevant issue that may help to clear up some of the confusion and misunderstanding is the history of tarot cards from past to present.

The History of Tarot Cards

The most clearly documented evidence of the astrology tarot cards comes to light in the early 1400’s in northern Italy, according to Tarothermit.com. Lavish hand-painted cards were used in the courts of the nobles in that era as one of the popular entertainments played in families and with guests. Originally played in a game called carte da trionfi (cards of the triumphs), the game’s name was changed about 1530 to “tarocchi” to separate it from another game of “triumph” that had grown increasingly popular. As the earlier game spread in popularity from Italy to Southern France and then to Germany, the languages of these countries adapted the name to their respective cultures. In France, the word was “tarot,” which eventually became the dominant name for the game of special cards.

Like other playing cards of Renaissance Europe, at that time a fusion of classic and contemporary ideas, the tarot deck of cards included numbered cards one through 10 in four suits, along with court cards of page, knight, and king.

Unique to the tarot deck, however, were queens for each court and 22 additional cards with symbolic images of key figures like the Pope, the emperor, the devil, the moon, and death. While the meanings of tarot cards even today are yet unclear, it is understood that the 22 special cards can trump other cards in a game that is similar to Bridge. Some believe the game of cards generally came to Europe from Islamic Spain, and are specifically Mamluk cards in the Eastern world.

As the original European game spread from one country to another, each culture adjusted the images on the special cards to create unique renderings and meanings of tarot card definitions and the ranking of the trumps. It wasn’t until several centuries later that fans of the occult and astrology applied their own meanings and definitions to the tarot cards that changed the way they were used and interpreted. The Joker card appeared in 1857 in the United States, and does not seem to be connected directly with the Fool of the tarot cards.

The history of tarot cards includes concern from the Catholic and Protestant branches of Christianity, mainly due to the possible use of tarot cards (like other playing cards) for gambling purposes. Yet, there are exemptions of tarot cards from the general banning of playing cards, possibly because the tarot cards were associated with courts of nobility.

After the Reformation, the Church denounced the use of Pope and Papess cards, and their images were replaced with less controversial figures. There does not seem to be specific mention of banning tarot cards in other lists of proscribed activities, like those instituted by the Inquisition.

Tarot Cards Today

Today, meanings of tarot cards are no more certain than before. Tarot card definitions fluctuate somewhat between cultures, and the game is still widely played in Europe nowadays, especially in France. Before the 18th century, there is only one documented criminal trial associated with the use of tarot cards, which occurred in 1589. After that, no further court records name tarot cards as a source of fortune telling or divination until the 18th century. However, the trump cards were the basis of lofty poems dedicated to courtly ladies, as evidenced in 1527 verses that did seem to connect a person’s fate to his personality as described in the cards.

Tarot Cards and Divination

In the early 1700’s, there is limited documentation to connect tarot cards to divination purposes in Bologna, Italy. By the turn of the 19th century (late 1790’s), tarot card designs were being modified to represent more of the cards’ divining aspects.

What do people today need to know about tarot cards? The early history of tarot cards reveals little of the forces that shaped their design or inspired their meaning. But since they were born in Italy during the Renaissance, an era of cultural rebirth, there are many potential sources that may have spawned this curious game of cards: cabalism, classicism, neoplatonism, hermeticism, Islamic mysticism, and even the Christian reformation may have had a bearing on the evolution of the tarot cards. Although tarot was not mentioned in Renaissance books about magic or the occult, by the late 1700’s, the Comte de Mellet was a renowned writer who was fascinated by the meanings of tarot cards and helped to invoke their supernatural and astrological connotations in popular culture.

Tarot cards of the 21st century continue to represent their respective cultures. Those used in Germany, for example, portray German figures and the German language, while the same holds true for France, Spain, and other countries who have adopted the controversial game. There is no uniform set of tarot cards, and even those used for many years by a country are generally different in some respects from previous generations of tarot cards.

The 22 traditional tarot card trumps are as follows:

-angel

-bagatto (a parade marshal or sorcerer—unclear)

-chariot (triumphant procession)

-death

-devil

-emperor

-empress

-fire

-fool

-fortitude (strength)

-justice

-love

-moon

-old man (time)

-papess

-pope

-star

-sun

-temperance

-traitor

-wheel

-world

Some of the trumps vary from one place and time to another, but this list provides a general understanding of the prevailing images still found on tarot cards. Packs today can be designed with a specific modern image pattern, like a set of tarot cards with cat imagery or witch imagery. They can be used for personal and/or private games among friends for fun. But the cards also are used by professional astrologists and fortunetellers who charge clients a fee to “read their fortune” in the tarot cards. Some people view the cards as harmless, while others take them rather seriously in their quest for understanding the occult. There are players who frequently consult the cards for insight to their future or that of family members and friends, while others visit commercial tarot card readers to the point of becoming part of the regular clientele. Apparently, a one-time reading is not enough for many people.

Like other entertainments from ages past, the tarot cards should be accepted at face value for their role as a court game 600 years ago. While it may be tempting to view the game as a paranormal way of reading one’s future or predicting certain events, no strong or well-documented proof supports their use in this manner. If you play with tarot cards, have fun, but don’t expect the writing on the wall to materialize. The history of tarot cards should remind us that they were created for play, and to date, no strong evidence has surfaced to support the notion of their having supernatural power over the lives of humans or animals.

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